Ontivity Resources

SAFE DRIVING HABITS

New Braunfels, TX, October 18, 2023

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The impact that a car accident can have on your family financially and emotionally is tremendous.  Everyone should make it a habit to make safe driving choices anytime you are behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Today we are going to review some topics related to alerts from our fleet monitoring tool that occur far too frequently. 

ALWAYS WEAR A SEAT BELT

While drivers can make every effort to stay safe and aware when operating a vehicle, accidents can still happen. One fundamental safety measure is wearing a seat belt. According to the NHTSA, seatbelts reduce crash-related injuries and deaths by half.  Wearing a seatbelt also enhances the effectiveness of other safety features. For example, airbags are more likely to prevent serious injury or death when combined with the use of a seatbelt.  Individuals who do not wear their seatbelts are more likely to be ejected from the vehicle in a crash. Seatbelts serve as a restraint for passengers in a vehicle. They restrain an individual to the seat instead of them potentially being ejected from the vehicle or being thrown around the interior of a vehicle in the instance of a crash. Seatbelts need to be worn every time you are in a vehicle. Reasons such as being uncomfortable or “not cool” are not good enough for not wearing a seat belt. As a driver, you bear the responsibility not only for yourself but for everyone in your vehicle. Ensure that both you and your passengers wear your seatbelts every time you get in a vehicle.

COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT ALL STOP SIGNS

Stop signs are a critical aspect of road safety. Regardless of whether you’re on a back country road or in a bustling city, a stop sign means stop. A stop sign is designed to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure the intersection is safely clear of vehicles and/or pedestrians before continuing past the sign.  It doesn’t matter if the stop sign is on a back country road or major metropolitan area.  A stop sign means stop.  The safety of others as well as yourself can be compromised by rolling through a stop sign. For example, many pedestrians rely on drivers stopping in order for them to cross the street safely. Not only that, but a only conducting a quick glance you can easily miss pedestrians crossing, especially small children, resulting in a pedestrian accident.  The road is no place for uncertainty, but that’s what a rolling stop gives to other drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. If another individual is unsure whether you will roll through or completely stop at a stop sign, it can affect his or her actions and driving decisions in a destructive or unsafe way. Receiving a ticket or fine is certainly on the list of reasons why failing to stop at a stop sign is a bad idea. However, there are others that are more severe. For instance, causing an accident while negligently failing to stop can cause very serious injury to you or another person.   A stop sign is not a suggestion to slow down, it means your vehicle needs to come to a complete stop and verify all is safe before you continue driving.

ALWAYS SCAN THE ROAD AHEAD

The last item we want to cover is near collisions. When driving you should not only pay attention to cars in front, back, and on either side of you.  You should also be looking ahead past the car in front of you.  This enables you to observe what is going on ahead of you and give you time to adequately prepare yourself.  Many workers can find themselves in rural areas where the added complexity of dealing with unpredictable wildlife is also a hazard.  These animals can blend into the vegetation and appear like magic.  This is why we need to slow down and give ourselves time to react, especially in the morning and at dusk.  Man, all this paying attention to the road seems like it might get in the way of using your phone or taking a bite of your lunch.  Well, it shouldn’t, because when you are operating a vehicle, your main task is ensuring you and your passengers arrive to your destination safely.  If you need to make a call, return a text, or eat then pull over to a safe place to do that.  Minimizing all distractions and making your main focus on the road ahead of you is the best way to be safe while driving.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the leading cause of workplace injuries was from automobile crashes. If we don’t take swift action to correct the behaviors we discussed today and hold each other accountable to drive safe, we are going to eventually have someone contribute to the statistics.  Remember, we are not in a race, the few extra seconds, or minutes it takes you to safely reach your destination can be the difference between life or death.

If you would like more information on this topic or any other safety-related topic, please reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of. 

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